20th Century Fox
by Sheppard Studios
Summary: [X] When technology, desire, and curiosity come together, there's no telling what can happen. Especially when it comes to altering the past to shape the future. Welcome to the world of time travel; where one mistake in the past could change your life and history in the present day in more ways than one. One simple action could completely rewrite the future. Choose wisely.
1. Did it Work?

**A/N: Yet _another_ story from me, and I haven't even finished any of my other ones yet. *shrug***

 **Just a bit of explanation here really quick: besides FC, I've really found myself in a universal writer's block with my other stories, so it may be a while before you see another update from them. However, to hold you guys over, I've created this.**

 **Inspiration for this came from a very close friend of mine who made a flippin' hilarious joke, and that sparked inspiration for this story. I told him I'd credit him for the inspiration for this, so if you're reading this bud... here ya go!**

 **So, that's enough from me. As usual, because this is a new story, I'd love to hear from you guys. Reviews and suggestions are greatly encouraged. I know, since this is the first chapter and all, there will be a lot of questions, but I can assure you they'll be answered in later installments.  
Fair warning, this story can and will contain ideologically sensitive material, so viewer discretion is advised.  
**

 **I can't wait to hear from you guys on what you think of this. I hope you fellas enjoy! Take care!**

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Fox's eyes slowly slid open, fighting against his inner desire to keep them shut to avoid being blinded by the starkly white room he found himself in. The first thing his eyes were forced to make out was a crystal clear window devoid of any blinds that overlooked a clear pale blue sky complimenting the skyline of downtown Corneria City. It put a slight smile on his face seeing the city so calm and serene, but a greater worry of being in a hospital room plagued his enjoyment of the sight, albeit it was a common occurrence for him.

The very next thing he saw was the equipment commonly found in hospital rooms. It wouldn't be much of a shock to him in normal circumstances since he would commonly wake up in hospital rooms without any recollection of the day before because of his job as a Cornerian Police officer, but this time in particular set him on edge. The equipment surrounding his bedside was outdated – so much so that he couldn't help but feel worried. Cornerian hospitals would always keep up to date in medicinal technology, sometime updating their equipment twice a year, but this room was an exception. In fact, it didn't look like it had been upgraded in decades as strange as it sounded.

Fox grunted and reached his arms out above his head, stretching out muscles that felt like they haven't been used in years. His left shoulder popped audibly as he pivoted to face the wall with the very large window to attempt to stand up, then once he tried to pick himself up he immediately regretted his decision. His almost stasis-like condition prevented him from moving any farther than just rolling over onto his side, and the feeling of not having his muscles work confused and concerned the vulpine to no end.

After trying to get his legs to work for over five minutes without any of his attempts meriting a positive outcome, he groaned in defeat and flopped back onto his spine. He gazed up at the ceiling for a few moments, trying to remember how he had gotten into this condition, but just like before, he couldn't remember a thing. It often times really did bother him on how every single instance of him being admitted into the hospital didn't include a memory of how it even happened in the first place. He loved his service, but the constant amnesia after a mission to the point where he couldn't remember one second of the previous day really did piss him off.

He cranked his head over towards the door, and was pleasantly surprised at the sight of a small device resting comfortably on the table near his bedside. Luckily it was within his arm's reach, so he forced his hardened muscles to reach out and snatch it off of the table, and without a moment's hesitation he pressed the button on the top of the remote. Less than a minute afterward, a gray female lupine nurse slipped into his room, and instantly grinned when she saw him awake and somewhat alert.

"Feeling any better, Mr. McCloud?" the nurse asked sweetly, lifting a small clipboard off of the front of the door. Fox grunted as he tried to reposition himself on the bed.

"I can't really move all that well," Fox answered, slightly pawing at his unresponsive legs.

"Ah, that's what the codeine will do," she said, eyeing her paperwork.

Fox raised an eyebrow at the mention of an opiate. Corneria had abandoned that form of painkiller five years ago after they discovered it was a highly addictive drug. Why was he prescribed it when it was illegal to even _possess_ such an addictive painkiller?

Fox decided to take baby steps first. "What happened to me?" he asked, rubbing at his temple for good measure.

"In all honesty, doctors aren't really sure," she admitted. "You had a lot of nerve damage in and around your legs. You're lucky they weren't amputated because of how bad of a condition they were in. You're a very luck fox, Mr. McCloud."

"How'd this happen?" he questioned as the feeling in his legs slowly trickled back, enough so that he could start wiggling his clawed digits underneath the thin hospital sheet.

The she-wolf nurse shrugged. "Our ambulance just brought you in. Nobody knows how you got like this. You have no idea?"

"Not one," Fox replied. "I've always had issues with amnesia. This happens to me all the time. I just wake up in a hospital room with a lump on my head and two hundred credits lighter."

The nurse instantly gapped. "Two hundred credits? My goodness, who charges you two hundred credits for a hospital sojourn?"

"I've always come here," Fox answered with a grin. "It's nothing, really. Two hundred isn't that much of a deal for me."

The nurse hummed, but not at the latter part of the vulpine's sentence. She narrowed her eyes as she inched her pointy muzzle towards the clipboard. "Huh, I don't have any instances of previous visits for you. Your name is Fox McCloud, correct?"

"Yes," he answered slowly and confusedly, raising a bushy eyebrow at her.

"Yeah, nothin'," she continued, flipping through her multiple pages. "No Fox McClouds in my records. According to our records, this is your first visit here."

"Hmm," Fox grunted, completely mystified. "I've always been admitted here for my constant injuries."

"Huh," the nurse nearly snorted, lifting her eyes up to the tod. "I'll have to check our databases for any inconsistencies. This is really strange – it says you've never had a visit here. In fact… I can't seem to find any of your personal records other than your name."

"That _is_ very strange," Fox agreed, finally able to move his legs completely. He curled them up so that he could rest his back up against the headboard of the hospital cot. The nurse glanced at her clipboard briefly, then once she gazed into the vulpine's green eyes she narrowed her own eyes.

"You look familiar too," she remarked, taking a slight step towards him. "Do you happen to be a relative of James McCloud? A brother, possibly?"

"Yes, I– wha– brother?"

The nurse nearly giggled. "You look almost identical to him. He's your age, is he not?"

Fox took a second to process his thoughts, then let his head hang as he pawed at his forehead. "Um, I– you must be mistaken. This must be one giant mix up. He's not my brother, he's…"

Fox hesitated briefly, then let out a soft agonized groan as he flung his head backwards. "Can I get a moment? I… I just need to regain my bearings, that's all."

"Of course," she replied. "In the meantime I'll go look up your personal records in our database really quick and see if there isn't a mix-up in our servers."

Fox watched as the lupine's fuzzy tail disappeared out of the doorway, and as soon as the heavy door clicked shut he threw the hospital sheet off of his frame and shivered as the cold burst of air permeated his rather exposed auburn furred frame. He flung his feet over the bedside, making his digits click against the polished flooring, then immediately rushed over to his door and scanned the paperwork attached to it. One particular feeding schedule stuck out to him, and he nearly screamed as he saw the date attached to it.

"What the fuck?" he whispered to himself. "This… this is from thirty years ago! Holy shit, what the hell happened to me?!"

Fox cupped his head in his paws as he slowly backed away from the door with his eyes wider than dinner plates. He just kept inching away from the front door, and unbeknownst to him he accidently nudged a portable table that had most of his gear resting comfortably on top of it. The sudden light impact caused his wallet to slip off and smack the floor audibly. He looked down at the wallet, then as soon as he saw a white slip of paper sticking out of it he knelt down to retrieve it.

He pulled the slip of paper out of his wallet, then let his eyes grow even wider if they would allow him to do so as he read the message written on it.

 _Fox, if you are reading this, that means the machine worked. You are now in Corneria City, thirty years ago today. I know your issue with amnesia will flare up again, but you need to trust me here. Inside your wallet will be three different things. Firstly, you'll have your ID that has been updated to your current time period so that you don't freak the people out. Secondly, you'll have an address written on a slip of paper. You need to leave the hospital you are in right now and_ _immediately_ _go to that address. It will confuse you a bit, but please,_ _keep your identity secret_ _. You can thank me later. Lastly, you'll have a set of paperwork that you've already filled out before time-traveling. You need to submit those documents to the CDF as soon as possible, but_ _after_ _you go to that address. I know you're probably confused, but I promise it will come back to you. Make us proud Fox. –Peppy_

Fox shook his head in disbelief at what he was reading. He knew his amnesia was making him completely oblivious, but what was Peppy talking about? Time travel? Is that how he managed to find himself thirty years in the past? It was all too confusing, and his headache started to return with much more intensity as a result.

To his own surprise, another handwritten message was on the back side of the note, and it put a smile on his face when he recognized the unmistakable flowing handwriting.

 _Hey Fox, I really hope you're reading this. Listen, I just wanted to say good luck. I know this is a really crazy string of events that you are dealing with right now, but you just have to stay strong. I believe in you. I wish you all the best with your mission, and I hope you can come back successful. I love you Fox; good luck and stay safe! –Krystal_

Fox managed to calm himself down slightly after reading the reassuring note the blue vixen had left him. He let out a long breath of air through his nose as he glanced back at his wallet, then started rummaging inside of it. Just like Peppy said, there was a folded up set of documents, and as he peeled back one of the corners he saw the unmistakable Cornerian Defense Force logo printed on that corner. Satisfied, he wedged the paperwork back into his wallet, then pulled out the ID card and smiled at how legitimate it looked despite it being a forgery. His birthday registered on the card was correct, just thirty years behind as Peppy said. Feeling like that would come in handy later, he placed the card in a convenient place in his wallet and set it back down on the table.

"Good thing I still have some appropriate clothes," he muttered under his breath as he picked up a set of attire lying comfortably on that table, then began to dress himself. His apparel consisted of a pair of dark gray cargo pants with countless pockets lining the sides of his legs and underneath the hole for his bushy vulpine tail, a very soft forest green V neck t-shirt, a set of brand new jet black combat boots, a worn granite black baseball cap, and a set of sunglasses. He threw everything on except for the sunglasses which he slipped into one of his numerous pockets, and as he poked his floppy vulpine ears through the slits on the cap another nurse walked in on him, this one being a tall female blue jay.

"Oh, I see you're feeling good enough to move on your own, Mr. McCloud?" she remarked with a grin.

"More or less," the tod smirked, readjusting the cotton shirt on his shoulders. He picked up his wallet off of the table, and consequently another small slip of paper fell out. Puzzled, he lifted the paper up and stared at it. On one side was a hastily scribbled down address, and on the other side was another message written in Peppy's handwriting, one that sent chills down his spine.

 _You have two weeks until we have to pull the plug. You need to complete your mission in this time, otherwise you may not come home to the home you've come to know. Good luck Fox. –Peppy_

Fox flipped the note back to the address' side, then hesitantly picked his muzzle up and cleared his throat. "Um, excuse me nurse, but can you give me directions to this address? It's not familiar with me."

The avian nurse nodded, then copied the address onto her clipboard. She gestured for the fox to follow her, and after he retrieved all of his belongings he followed the blue jay out into the hallway. After trotting through a few winding hallways, they finally stopped near a reception desk. She slipped behind the counter and typed the address into her computer, then smiled as she tilted the screen towards the vulpine.

"Looks like this address isn't too far away," she explained, pointing at the screen with her feathered digit. "You can take the monorail down to here, and it's not too far of a walking distance from this stop right here."

"Thank you," Fox said thoughtfully, then kept transitioning his gaze from the notecard to the screen. "I'm sorry, but I'm in a bit of a hurry right now and I need to get here as fast as I can. Would you mind sending my bill to this address, please? I– I'll pay it as soon as I can."

"I can do that, sure," the nurse grinned. "Take care out there Mr. McCloud."

"You too nurse," he said as he spun around and slipped out the front doors. As soon as his boots touched the parking lot, he pulled the sunglasses out of his pocket and slipped them onto his muzzle over his eyes. The combination of those sunglasses and the worn out baseball cap did a very good job at disguising himself, although he really didn't need to since everyone in this time period didn't know who he was in the slightest.

It was honestly calming and refreshing for the vulpine to stand out in the open and not be mauled by people begging for autographs and pictures, but he was still stumped on why he had been sent thirty years into the past. He really hoped his amnesia would wear off because he needed all the information he could get, and most of it was still trapped in his mind and he had no way of getting it out in the current moment.

He let out a sigh and let his shoulders go limp, but as his paws slapped the sides of his legs he felt something rustle in his right picket. He reached inside and pulled out a hastily folded note, and as he trotted down the sidewalk towards the monorail station he skimmed over the note with a slight grin.

 _Hey Foxie; if you're reading this and I'm nowhere near you, you're thirty years in the past and the machine worked. Alright, I'm not used to giving you instructions and not harassing you, but I felt like throwing this in because I felt like you would need to know this. So, turns out almost two weeks from the day you've found yourself in right now, Andross demonstrated his newly invented biological equipment to the CDF, and if you remember correctly he used that same technology to turn Zoness into a shithole. That sparked the whole war with Venom and all that, and, well, we all know how that ended. Anyway, since one of the side effects of the time-traveling machine Beltino created is an extreme amount of amnesia (besides the possible nerve damage that is easily fixable), and since you're already suffering from amnesia anyways because you keep busting your head open on anything you touch, I decided, being the amazing person I am, I'm gonna write down a bit of information you might need for this mission. Read this closely._

 _You're gonna need to find a way to stop Andross' presentation of his bio equipment, so that he doesn't get approved to develop it and turn it into the catalyst for the Lylat War. You can end the Lylat War before it even happens, and you can save countless amounts of people as a result too. I don't know how you're gonna follow through with this, but hey, you're Fox McCloud; you'll figure it out. Also, like what Peppy said, you're gonna want to keep your identity under wraps as much as possible. You need to make sure you act like a fox thirty years in the past, and not a fox that just fought in a war and happens to be a time-traveler from thirty years in the future. If people find out that you're from the future, there could be some really bad consequences for the present. Just remember: one wrong action or word you say could change the present time drastically. You need to be careful, but effective. Basically, don't go chasin' after girls out there. I'm not sure Krys would like that all too much._

 _Alright, that's enough from me. Just remember what I said, and you'll be alright. Good luck out there Foxie; I'm rooting for ya! –Falco_

"What the fuck…" Fox muttered under his breath, drowned out by the sound of the monorail screaming above him. He folded the note back into his pants and picked up his pace, practically flying up a set of iron stairs to get up to the monorail platform. He instinctively held his ID at the scanner, and to his surprise and relief it accepted his card and allowed him to climb aboard. He managed to cram himself into the corner of the rather wide car and latched onto a nearby post with his paw. As he waited for the tram to start moving, he glanced out of the light gray tinted window down to the street below.

 _This was Corneria thirty years ago…_ Fox thought with a hint of awe. _Hasn't changed all that much when you think about it. Everything now is the same as it is in the present. Wait, what? Damn this whole time-paradox shit is confusing me. Let's just get this over with so I can go back home. I'm already edgy._

Fox exhaled as the monorail car's doors hissed shut, and within moments they were traveling to the next station in line at breakneck speeds. It always put a smirk on the vulpine's face on how fast he could travel over twenty downtown city blocks in such a short amount of time. Within moments the tram had stopped at a station just inside the city limits, and luckily only two blocks away from his destination. He managed to squeeze his way through the rest of the crowded car, and without wasting another second he rushed down the stairs and back down to ground level. He remembered the map the nurse had graciously showed him, then spun around and traveled down the sidewalk.

Fox tilted the bill of his cap downwards just slightly and stuffed his paws in his pockets, continuing to walk down the rather crowded sidewalk. What piqued the vulpine's interest was that this section of town seemed to be for just students. The sidewalks were riddled with various sizes and shapes of students with backpacks, textbooks, and purses, and the sidewalks were surrounded by rather exquisite looking houses. He was lucky that he was in a division of the city that shared his age, but that was also a big negative too if someone took an interest to him. He just kept his hat tilted down and his sunglasses practically pressed up against his eyebrows as he inconspicuously strolled through the university neighborhood, doing everything in his power to avoid being called out.

Fox subtly glanced down at the hastily written address, and found the street he was looking for. The houses lined on this street looked extremely nice; nicer houses than what he'd see in rather high-end neighborhoods back in his time period. He instantly deduced it was a shared housing unit, where three or four people would live in the same house together and pay rent together. It was good for people who had a good friend pool and wanted to have a nice place to stay without spending a fortune in living alone.

Fox found the four numbers that replicated the digits scribbled onto his note, then with a long and quiet sigh he pocketed the note and trotted up to the front door. This house looked almost exactly like the others that were lined on the long street, except this one had dark green highlights around the pearly white siding instead of either dark blue, black, or red. It had a two car garage like all the others, as well as a freshly cut lawn and some well-kept bushes and shrubbery lining the house.

Right as the vulpine balled his paw and inched it closer to the door, he remembered Falco's warning about making a mistake. If he made one mistake, his life that he worked hard to build up could be gone just like that. His friends, his family, his livelihood; they could all vanish because of one little mistake. He had to stand on his toes the entire time he was here. He had to make sure that everything around him was perfect, otherwise he could come back home to a completely different life, and not a good one.

After fighting with himself for what felt like hours, he slowly inched his arm forward and knocked on the door loud enough so that the noise could echo in the home. He backed away slightly and folded his paws as he awaited someone to appear. He was slightly relieved to hear the faint sound of footsteps resound from deep inside the house, but he was also nervous on who would actually open the door.

The door creaked open, and Fox nearly gasped as his eyes widened at the sight of essentially looking into a mirror perched into the doorway, only it wasn't himself he was staring at. He sputtered for a brief moment, but still couldn't make his vocal chords work as he stared at the nearly identical vulpine that had opened the door.

 _Dad?_


	2. Awkward

**A/N: Pfft... Proofreading... Who needs proofreading? (probably me. plz halp)**

 **Looks like I've got a rather large string of positive feedback as of so far, and that's what I love to see. I'm glad you guys are liking this as much as I am, and I would always love to see this positive trend continue. Stay awesome you guys!**

 **I did have a bit of problem proofreading this one, due to my own b** **êtise and/or laziness, so if you guys can find 'em let me know (If the list becomes painfully long, please let me know via PM ASAP plz). My buddy that usually reads these over is busy, so I'm stuck doing this, and... let's just say I'd be a terrible English instructor. ;)**

 **Regardless, hope you guys enjoy despite the long-ish wait for chapitre deux. Take care fellas!**

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Fox's heart practically stopped.

Standing in the doorway with wide emerald eyes and a slightly gapped muzzle was Fox's father, James McCloud. Except he looked younger than what Fox remembered of him, but that was to be expected being years in the past and all. Fox thought he looked similar to his father before his untimely departure from the physical world when he was much younger, but now he looked damn near identical to him because of the crazy time distortion that made Fox and James the same age. James had a similar outfit to the other vulpine, except his shirt was a faded red and was partially tucked into a pair of gray cargo shorts. He cocked his ears and let his eyes wander over the other vulpine's nearly identical frame, studying him curiously like he'd always do to new people.

"Hello, uh, can I help you with something?" James asked. To be honest, he was very intrigued with his visitor. He had never seen someone so identical to him, and it was honestly spooking him at the fact of seeing an almost splitting image of himself in the doorway.

"D– ahum… James?" Fox coughed, cursing at himself at the fact that he damn near spilled the beans right then and there. He was practically kicking himself already that he almost slipped so soon, but luckily his spring allergies kicked in right at the perfect moment and gave him a tickle in the back of his throat. James grinned slightly and nodded.

"That's me," he answered confidently. "What'cha need?"

Now what was he supposed to say? He couldn't tell him anything about his mission and where he was actually from, but if he didn't say or do anything he'd be screwed twenty minutes into his two-week-long mission. He needed to utilize what the fox in front of him taught him to do years ago. Instincts.

He was about to bullshit his way into recognition.

"James, it's… it's me!" Fox blurted out, forcing a smile. It was extremely odd to call his own father by his first name, but it would be even stranger if he started calling him _dad_.

"Um, I-I'm sorry," James started off slowly, raising a bushy eyebrow at the other tod. "Who are you?"

"What? You don't recognize me?" Fox continued in a rather bubbly voice, one he himself didn't even realize he could create with his vocal chords.

"Uh, no, not really," James admitted, folding his ears back. "I'm sorry; I've never been good with names or faces."

"It's me; Fox McCloud!" he said with a half chuckle, internally holding his breath in hopes James wouldn't catch on in a way he didn't want to happen. "We were in the academy together last year!"

James blinked. "Really? I'm sorry, I don't seem to recognize y–" James cut himself off as he nearly gasped. "Did you say McCloud?"

Fox silently swallowed hard, attempting to show signs of mirth by forcing his tail to wag. "Don't worry, I'm not like a long lost cousin or anything like that. Sure as hell could be, 'cause I never realized how similar you looked to me."

James bit his lower lip and tilted his muzzle to the side slightly. "I was just about to say the same thing. I thought you were a distant relative with the looks and the last name. You said you were in the academy with me last year?"

"Only briefly," Fox improvised, clutching at his wrist. "I honestly don't blame you for not remembering me. I was only in your squadron for a week, then I got transferred out to fill space in another group."

"Ah," James finally grinned. "That probably explains why I didn't recognize you. Anyway, Fox, what brings you here?"

Fox's joy in improvising suddenly turned tense and urgent. Only by pure impulse did he suddenly reach into his pocket and pull out his wallet, then show off his golden badge he had received as a result of joining the Cornerian Police. Judging by James' slight recoil, he made the right decision, much to his own surprise that he was able to think of something so quick.

"I, uh… I'm on a bit of an assignment," he practically stuttered, being very hesitant and careful with his word choice. "I'm tracking a dangerous criminal that is supposedly hiding out in this neighborhood, and the agency told me to pick a place nearby to set up a stakeout. When they told me you lived here, I couldn't think of a better place to stay than with an old academy teammate."

James' eyes widened at the mention of a criminal, then gave a slight grin and nodded. "Oh, of course. Anything to help the force. Here, uh, please come in. Make yourself at home.

 _That went better than I expected_ , Fox thought to himself, suppressing a smirk as he thanked James and stepped inside. He found himself standing in a relatively larger hardwood floored living room, with a particularly large L shaped sectional pressed against the opposite wall with the longest side of the sofa mapping out an improvised hallway from the front door to the kitchen. On the wall where the door was located was a loveseat pressed under a rather large window, and both couches surrounded a square coffee table with numerous half-filled glasses and dirty chinaware littering the otherwise exquisite surface. On the farthest wall on the vulpine's right side was a decently sized TV, and it made him grin at how bulky it looked. It was funny looking at such outdated objects, but for his father it was cutting-edge tech.

James let the other fox take a few steps inside, then after he shut the front door he cleared his throat. "Sorry it's such a mess Fox. Usually I try to keep it nice around here, but I guess time just got away from me."

"Heh, believe me, I know the feeling," Fox remarked as he let the warm glow of the house soothe his inner tensions. He grinned when he saw a few pictures hanging on the near side wall, most of them consisting of his much younger father posing with a few friends, some of which he could actually remember. It really did make the vulpine smile to see a picture of those people thirty years younger than they actually were. It was still somewhat funny to see his father being the same age as he was, but he did manage to keep his laughter to a minimum, although he did feel the urge to abandon all forms of formalities and just straight up hug him. He needed to take his time and befriend his own father before he could get to relish in his warmth like he used to do when he was just a little kit.

It gave him a weird and inexplicable feeling of déjà vu when he realized he needed to get to know his own father all over again, almost as if he had just met him. He could easily just tell him everything that he remembered about his father before he was killed, but he didn't want to make a scene of it so soon.

If he wanted to have his mission be successful, he needed the young James McCloud on his side.

"So, James, I–" Fox cut himself off as he kept feeling a weird tickle on his tongue every time he called his father by his first name. "You don't mind if I call you that, no?"

James shook his head with a smirk. Fox exhaled and forced a smile.

"Alright, so… in all honesty I wasn't expecting to get a temporary stay here so suddenly. My department isn't supposed to give me my assignment for another few days since I didn't know if I was going to be allowed to stay here."

Fox himself was amazed that the words just rolled off his tongue in a believable fashion. James nodded and patted the other vulpine's shoulder in a friendly and assuring manner.

"Stay all you need Fox," James said with his trademark grin. "You don't mind if I call you that? Or would you prefer Deputy McCloud or something more formal?"

"Ah, please, I hate formalities," Fox answered. "One thing I hate about working for the police force is formalities. Please, call me Fox. It's nice to have someone call me by my first name every once in a while."

James stifled a chuckle. "Sounds like me whenever I'm in the academy or out in the open," he remarked, slipping around the sectional and throwing himself on the loveseat near the front door. "You wanna relax for a bit until you get your assignment or whatever?"

"Wouldn't hurt," Fox smirked, hesitantly taking a seat on the rather soft sectional. As soon as he let his muscles melt into the upholstery, James sat back up and laid his elbows on his knees as he stared at the other vulpine.

"I'm still baffled," James blurted out, again attempting to withhold his laughter. "Same looks. Same last name. Somewhat same occupation. Are you sure you're not related to me and I'm just somehow oblivious to it?"

"I don't think so, no," Fox answered, doing his best to cover up who he actually was. He was rather surprised that his arm that sometimes had a mind of its own didn't wander upwards to either scratch behind his neck or his ears. "Sheer coincidence maybe?"

"I'll say," he chuckled. "I would've thought you were my twin brother or something."

"That's what the nurse at the hospital told me earlier today," Fox said with a grin. "You're not the only one that thinks that way."

James cocked his ears and managed to lean forwards slightly. "Hospital visit? Heh, I guess that does make sense being a cop and all."

Fox laughed along silently. "You'd be surprised. Half the time I wake up in a hospital room with no remembrance of how I even got there in the first place. They've diagnosed it as some kind of chronic amnesia, and it really does piss me off that I can't remember anything."

"Man, that sucks," James admitted, forcing a frown.

"It's a nightmare to deal with," Fox added. "Luckily it's only short term memory that's affected, and for some reason it's only when I wake up in a hospital room. I still remember who I am and all that, but the day before or a mission from days prior is always a mystery to me."

"And how long has that been going on?" James asked suddenly.

"Years," Fox answered. "Ever since I– er… had a, uh… accident a few years ago, the constant memory loss has plagued me ever since."

Fox wanted to kick himself again. That's twice now he's almost disclosed his personal information, info he really has to withhold from the other fox. Judging by the puzzled look on his young father's muzzle, he needed to think of something to cover it up, and fast.

"An accident in the police force, or… something else?"

"Ah, it's… it was just a little mishap," Fox chuckled nervously, scratching behind his neck again. "I was actually in the CDF as a pilot, but during a training exercise one of the rookies and I got into a wreck. Nearly killed both of us because I wasn't paying attention. I couldn't bring myself to fly after that one."

"Damn… Was the other kid ok?"

"She was alright," Fox answered, bringing back a foul taste in his mouth. "In fact, she's still flying, but I was never cleared to fly again because of my head injury. I'm actually more upset about who I hit than not being able to fly again."

"Who'd you hit?" James asked, and even with Fox's disappointment and reluctance he managed to spit the explanation out, but it was hinted with such an awfully acidic inflection that it could've melted right through the floor if words could solidify.

"My _now_ ex-girlfriend," he answered. You could practically see James' heart drop, even though they really haven't gotten to know each other much.

"Damn, Fox, I'm sorry," he said softly, giving the other vulpine some much needed reassurance knowing that his father still sympathized with him.

"It's alright… Shit like that happens."

James forced a smile. "What was she like?"

Fox about vomited. Did he seriously have to describe _her_? He couldn't trash the poor vixen because that wasn't who he was, but he couldn't try and bump her up either to make her sound better than she actually was. Krystal wouldn't be too happy if he made his ex sound better than she was.

"Ah, just your average fennec," Fox slightly stuttered through. "She was alright, but it didn't hit me hard when she broke up with me. She was really sweet and kind, but… eh, I don't know. She just didn't seem all that interested in me. I never asked why."

James nodded, then glanced over his shoulders as if he was expecting someone to be standing near him and listening in on him. After his sudden burst of paranoia, he exhaled and glanced back over at his guest. "Kinda reminds me of a cute little vixen in this neighborhood."

"Do tell," Fox said expectantly, withholding a smirk as he was pretty sure he knew exactly who his father was mentioning.

James chuckled softly and started fidgeting with his shirt. "Ah, I don't know Fox."

"You can trust me James. I won't tell anyone," Fox assured, grinning at James hesitancy. At least Fox knew where he got his shyness from, and it was kinda cute seeing his father all jumpy and shy about women. 'Like father, like son' at its finest, although flipped in this instance.

"Alright," James sighed, turning his gaze towards the floor. "There's a red fennec vixen that lives in this neighborhood named Vixy Reinard. I really like her, but…"

Fox inconspicuously bit his lower lip and used all of his inner restraint to keep himself from laughing out loud. Oh, the things he could just blurt out right now to embarrass the shit out of his father, but those same things would instantly compromise his identity. Although it was extremely adorable to see his father so sappy, it wasn't natural for Fox to witness it since he always remembered him as a strong leader. Now, he was staring at his father confess his love for his mother and trying not to blush in the process.

"I just don't know how to talk to her," he continued after a lengthy pause.

Gripping at his muzzle to give the allusion of deep though, Fox tilted his ears back and slowly shut his eyes. "Eh… I'm not a good relationship advice giver if that's what you're implying," he admitted. "I wouldn't know how to help you out."

"Aw, come on Fox," James pleaded. "Can you help a fellow fox out?"

Fox let out a breath of air through his nose and glanced at the floor again. Well, he did need James on his good side if he wanted his mission to be successful, and the best way to do so would be to help his father and mother get together, and it was just as strange as it sounded. Plus, if he told him no, that might discourage him entirely, and they might not even get to meet each other entirely. Oh boy, what a mistake that would be.

"I'll do my best," the vulpine said in defeat, making James' ears perk up.

"You're the best Fox," he said excitedly, flicking his tail happily. "I'll make it up to you, I promise."

Almost as if a switch flicked in his head, Fox nearly gasped and widened his eyes at the other fox. "Actually, I… I could use you for something."

"Anything you want," James affirmed.

Fox leaned forwards and lowered his voice. "I could use your help in my assignment," he explained, making his young father nod expectantly. "I did get some info prior to today saying that the criminal will be at the Scientific Exposition at the CDF Headquarters in two weeks, so our best bet of finding him and taking him down would be there."

"You need my help in taking this criminal down?" James asked.

"Only if you're up for it," Fox smirked. James instantly nodded.

"Of course. It's the least I can do for you."

Fox gave a pleasured smile as he melted back into the upholstery again. "I can't remember the last time I had a partner on a scouting assignment," he remarked, limply shutting his eyes for a brief moment.

"Huh," James grunted, then grinned happily. "Guess it's your lucky day."

"I'll say," Fox chortled back. "Not very often do I get to sit down and actually talk with someone anymore, especially someone like you."

"Yeah, I have to say that's the one thing I hate about piloting," James admitted, crossing his legs as he leaned back into his couch. "You get to know your squadron, and that's about it. You don't really spend time with anyone else, unless it's someone very close."

Before Fox could throw in a reply, both his and James' ears perked up at the sound of a door opening in the hallway behind them. He was about to crank his head around to where the sound came from, but was cut off as another male voice started speaking almost instantly.

"Hey James, you mind if I swipe one of your–" he cut himself off as he saw both foxes simultaneously transition their gaze to the pure white vulpine standing in the hallway. "Woah… James, you never told me you had a brother."

James snickered and lifted himself off of the couch. "Nah, we're not related, as weird as it looks."

"You sure?" the white fox asked with cocked ears. "Damn near mirrors you."

"That's what I said," James answered back, then patted Fox's shoulder with the back of his paw. "This is Fox. He's with the feds, and he's gonna be camped out here to do some kind of stakeout assignment."

"Aw, sweet, a cop?" the arctic fox smiled, curling the ends of his narrow muzzle upwards. He was about an entire head shorter than James, but shared the same lean stature as the orange vulpine. He had extremely pale blue eyes, and his bright shimmering coat of white downy fur made him look larger than he actually was. He had a full head of pearly white wavy hair that flowed down beyond his ears, but he had it covered up by a black baseball cap much like Fox's. One thing about the white vulpine that made Fox rather uncomfortable was a very noticeable scar over his right eye that started halfway up his forehead and stopped just at his cheekbone.

The fox extended his arm, which the orange vulpine accepted. "Name's Cal Bailey," he said in a warm and inviting tone "I've been a roommate of James' for quite a while now. We're in the same training squadron in the CDF."

"He's a really close friend of mine, Fox," James assured. "You can trust him."

Fox nodded as Cal backed up a few inches, but something about James' statement just now caught him by surprise. He had never heard his father mention a "Cal" before during the times he remembered his father telling stories, and usually if James says he's a close friend of someone, then he would've definitely told him about it. There was something missing if Cal was supposedly a close friend, yet James never told anyone about.

"Anyway, James, I came out here to ask if I could borrow a shirt for tomorrow," Cal continued, tightening the hat over his head. "Gotta look sharp for the dinner, no?"

"Sure thing," James said happily. "Go right ahead."

"Thanks a ton man. You wonder why I put up with you."

The rather suggestive tone the arctic fox put on that sentence made Fox cock an eyebrow, but what happened afterward trumped any other feeling of shock he had ever felt in his life.

Cal haphazardly wrapped his arm around James' neck for a brief second, then right before he pulled away he snuck a quick kiss on the side of his muzzle.

If Fox wanted to vomit before, he sure as hell wanted to now. Did Cal seriously just kiss his father, and more importantly, did his father just sit there and _allow_ the other fox to do so? That was one thing about his father that he didn't know, and the more he tried to think about it, the more he felt the urge to sprint to the bathroom before all hell broke loose from his stomach.

Fox's first speculation almost made him loose his lunch right then and there.

 _Is he and Cal–_

"Sorry about that little interruption," James chuckled as he heard the door click shut. "Cal can be a pest like that every once in a while. Once you get to know him, he's a really nice guy. You'll like him, I'm sure."

 _Uh, how about no? Not until you tell me what the hell is up with you two_ , Fox thought, trying his best to shove the scowl off of his muzzle. He let a few quick bursts of air through his nose to attempt to calm himself down, then felt himself shudder as he picked himself off the couch.

"Anyway, Fox, I've got a guest room you can stay in for now," James remarked, gesturing for the other vulpine to follow. Fox hesitantly followed James into the hallway, and to his dismay he stopped at a door directly across from the white vulpine Cal's room. Not even five minutes after meeting him for the first time, and he already doesn't trust him, and why should he if he saw him act like that in front of his father?

Then again… It did seem like James cared for the little arctic fox. A little bit too much as a matter of fact. Their friendship didn't look healthy from a normal person's standpoint, and as much as Fox dreaded asking him about it, he'd eventually have to question him sooner or later. Again, he needed to get James on his side if he wanted to make his mission successful, so if he wanted to make that a reality, he needed to support him to make him a reliable ally.

But at the same time, if his speculations about the two foxes' relationship was correct, something needed to be done. Obviously something happened between those two if James ultimately did get together with Vixy, so technically he didn't need to get involved, but the sour taste the vulpine had in his mouth was something he needed to take care of right away. He wouldn't be able to focus on his assignment if every time he'd look over at James he'd see–

"Heh, it's nothing' much, really," James admitted, gently kicking at the doorframe. "I'll let you get settled in for now, and please don't hesitate to ask me for anything. I'll be more than willing to help you out."

"Thanks," Fox replied absentmindedly, slipping into the small room after James had vacated the hallway. Inside the room was rather nice, but then again it was blatantly obvious that this room was not used often. The desk pressed up in the corner of the room had a thin layer of dust coating it, and Fox could almost taste the lack of life the room possessed. It did come fully furnished with a decently sized bed, that desk in the corner, as well as a small dresser and a comfortable looking chair, but it still looked bland and patently unused. Fox gently kicked the door shut, and as soon as it clicked he let out a quiet agonized groan.

"What the hell is going on?" he whispered to himself, dragging his feet as he made his way over to the bed. "I… I can't do this. I can't hold up all these promises. I just don't have enough time. It's impossible."

Fox threw himself on the mattress in defeat, cupping his forehead in his paws as he felt himself sink into the springs and foam.

He knew how he could finish his objective mission of taking care of Andross, but the little things were what was stressing him out. He promised he would help James finally talk to Vixy and try to get those two shipped off, but the big barrier that was impeding his progress was James' roommate Cal. Getting James and Vixy together wouldn't be a huge problem since he still knew everything about those two, and would have no trouble in hooking those two up, but again, Cal was in the way.

It made the vulpine's stomach churn and roll like a simulation Arwing flight exercise every time he tried to wrap his head around his father's disposition. He confessed his love for Vixy, yeah, that was to be expected of him, but then he had to throw a nasty curveball at him by letting his roommate show a bit more affection than he'd be comfortable with? Was Cal the one that provoked this interest, or was it James that started it? The latter brings up yet another important and necessary question that has yet to be answered of, "What happened to make all of this end up in Fox's favor?"

James and Vixy would've had to have gotten together, that was a given, but once you throw Cal into this mix it really doesn't add up. It would've been nice to know a little about Cal beforehand, but what piqued Fox's interest was that James had never _once_ mentioned that he had a roommate during his career in the academy. His father would never keep secrets from his family, no matter how disturbing or embarrassing they were – albeit he did have a standard he'd keep his stories in when telling them – but that still doesn't answer the mystery of who Cal is. James isn't one to withhold information, especially something to this magnitude of having a good friend as a roommate. Something was definitely up.

One thing he needed to do before trying to help his father out was to get behind the mystery of who this Cal person is, and why his father never told him about him before. His first assumption was that his earlier questions about the two foxes' disposition about each other were affirmed, and James was ashamed to even think about that time in his life, causing him to withhold that information from his family. Another answer would be that something must've happened either _to_ Cal or _with_ Cal, causing James' mentality to snap back into what Fox remembered of him in years to come.

As much as Fox just wanted to stay lying on his bed and not give two shits about the surrounding problems plaguing his mind and his thoughts until the day of the scientific exposition so that he could complete his mission without any hindrances or misapprehensions along the way, he wouldn't be able to be focused or effective knowing that his father was obviously in a conflicted time in his life, and someone needed to guide him through it. He thought against it for a brief moment, remembering the note both Falco and Peppy left him about keeping mistakes to a minimum, so doing something like this could potentially act against him.

However, it would be a mistake of his own conscious to just leave the drama to fend for itself and sort itself out without a much needed intervention. As much as he hated to admit it, he was stronger than his father at this current time, and he was always told by his father to help those who can't help themselves. As weird as it sounded, he needed to use that own teaching against the person who taught it to him in the first place.

The mind-fuck was about to begin.


End file.
